What Lies Within?
by Lonewolf66
Summary: Torak, Renn and wolf find a small girl in the heart of the forest. Bruised, broken and bleeding the girl is almost dead. Renn nurses her back to health and a startling truth is revealed. Told from the view point of Torak and Wolf.
1. Chapter 1

Torak, Renn and Wolf find a small girl in the heart of the woods

**Torak, Renn and Wolf find a small girl in the heart of the woods. She holds the secrets to the future of the forest and the fate of the clans. Will she trust the Raven's and tell them what she see's? What is in store for the Clans ****of the forest? Told from Wolf's and Torak's point of view. **

What lies within…?

Wolf breathed in the wonderful smells of the forest. The damp leaves that moved under his paws, the faint rustle of prey hiding in the shadows, the air weaving between the trees carrying the sent of the others living downwind. Then there was a smell he didn't recognise. His fur bristled slightly. Lowering himself onto his hunches he breathed in again deeply. There it was again. A smell that was different to the ones that were so familiar. The raven Clan camp. Torak. Torak's friend, Renn. But this, this was different.

He crept forwards, following the sent. He turned, curving around a tree and there, sitting right in front of him was a human. Wolf approached curiously. The young girl was leaning against the tree, breathing heavily. Wolf recoiled at a familiar smell, blood. As Wolf looked closer he saw the girls small, ruined, ragged body was covered in blood, pouring from cuts all over her arms, legs and face. Her eyes flickered behind her eyelids like she was having a nightmare.

Wolf moved forward and poked the girl experimentally. She didn't stir or move. Wolf whined a little and nudged her again. Nothing. He turned and ran, racing through the trees and the undergrowth, the smell of the prey not interesting anymore. He had to tell the two-legs about the girl.

I was sitting in my hut sharpening my knife by the light of the fire. The sky was darkening fast. I sat in silence for while, and then I heard rapid footsteps approaching the hut. Renn appeared at the doorway, her face etched with worry.

"Torak!" She cried, "Wolf is here." I stood; worry starting to pulse through me.

"Is he hurt?"

"No," Renn shook her head, "He's found something." I raced from the hut, Renn on my heels, and spotted Wolf in the clearing whining and sitting next to him was Fin-kedinn. When he saw me he jumped to his paws and almost knocked me over, licking my face and whining.

_What's wrong? _I asked,_ are you hurt?_

_Girl, hurt in woods. _Whined Wolf sadly and he started to race off, _Almost dying. Needs our help. _And he ran off into the forest. I turned to Renn.

"What is it?" She asked.

"There's a girl in the forest that needs our help." I whispered and turned to Fin-keddinn. "We need to go and help someone. We'll be back soon." He nodded.

I turned to Renn, she nodded and we raced off into the forest after Wolf.

He led us deeper and deeper into the forest. Renn was running beside me, her bow bobbing on her back. The trees grew bigger and bigger, blocking out the fading sunlight so it felt like night already. Wolf's tail whipped out of sight around a giant tree trunk and I skidded to a stop, Renn beside me. Her hand flew to her mouth in a gasp. A young girl was leaning against a tree trunk; her small body was ragged and cut in all places. Her face was etched with pain but her small eyes were closed, asleep or just exhausted, I didn't know, but she was limp and looked weak. Wolf stood beside her, whining softly again. I kneeled down and touched the girl's cheek. I pulled it away and my fingers were dotted with blood. Renn knelt beside me. Her hands hovered over the young girl's cuts and bruises, checking for broken bones or more wounds. I looked up again and my eyes met muddy brown ones. The girl gasped and recoiled away from us, fear shining in her eyes.

"It's o.k." I whispered. "We won't hurt you." I held my hand out towards her but she tucked her legs under herself and pulled away further. Renn shifted forwards and held out a piece of dried meat. The girl's eyes widened, she shifted her weight to her legs and snatched the meat from Renn, sniffing it before gulping it down.

The young girl only looked about six summer's old. Fear, panic and hurt shone in her eyes. Wolf brushed past me and before I could pull him back he rushed forwards and licked the girl's face. She looked at Wolf surprised for a moment then flung her arms around his neck and buried her blood-stained face in his warm fur.

I reached out and took the girl into my arms. She shivered and struggled a little but I held her tight and soon she rested her head on my chest and her eyes dropped closed.

I looked to Renn and she smiled.

"Well done." She whispered to me. I straightened up and managed to pat Wolf on the head once.

_Well done to you too my friend, _I murmured to him in Wolf speech, _if it had not been for you this girl may not have survived. _

He grinned at me then raced away to do more hunting. I started back towards the Raven Clan camp, wondering who the girl in my arms was and why she was so badly hurt.


	2. Chapter 2

I wrote the first chapter in about ten minutes so I hope it wasn't too bad

**I wrote the first chapter in about ten minutes so I hope it wasn't too bad! If you have any ideas about how to make it better or any ideas on what could happen later I would love to hear about them. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! **

I entered the Raven Clan camp to be greeted by the Mage, Fin-kedinn and some other Raven Clan members. I carried the girl slowly over to the middle of the clearing where a blanket had been laid across the dusty floor. I placed her down gently, moving the dirty, blonde curls that had moved in front of her face and smiled at her as she opened her brown eyes again to look at me, hovering above her.

The mage then pushed in front of me and I was pulled away by Renn.

"We have to let the mage do her stuff," She pulled me by the hand towards a familiar hut; "Fin-kedinn wants to speak to us." I let her drag me over to his hut and I pushed the material aside and stepped in.

"Ahh, Torak and Renn, come and sit down with me."

I let Renn take the seat by her uncle and I sat down, heavily, next to her. Fin-Kidinn turned to us and I looked to see he was looking straight at me.

"I want you to tell me everything." He murmured quietly. I sat silently as Renn retold the story to Fin-kidinn. There was a pause as Fin-kedinn turned to me.

"Is there anything wrong?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No," I whispered, "I'm fine."

Fin-kedinn sighed, and then stood. His age had started to show in the past few days and he walked, slowly, towards the door.

"Let's go and see your new friend." He murmured and, with a quick glance at Renn, I followed him from the hut.

We wandered over to the medicine hut. Just as we reached the door, the mage came out and stared at me.

"You're lucky to have found her when you did Torak." She told me softly, "She was almost taken. I managed to contain her fever though." She turned to Fin-kidinn, "I need to speak to you."

Fin-kedinn turned to us.

"You may go in and see her if you want." He murmured and started to walk off with the mage. I turned to Renn. She smiled at me.

"I guess we should go in." She whispered, "She may need my help."

I nodded and entered the dark hut.

The hut was stuffy and dark. The girl was curled up in the corner, wrapped in a thick quilt, her eyes open wide and watching me intently. I looked at Renn again, who smiled quickly and I wandered forwards as slowly as I could.

"I'm Torak." I whispered to her, Renn handed me a piece of meat she took from the small table and I held it out to the girl. She leaned forwards and took it from me softly. She sat back and started to chew on the meat.

"Thanks." She whispered the word so quietly that I almost missed it. She smiled at me slightly from behind the meat she was holding.

"Your welcome," I answered, "I'm Torak." I repeated.

The girl chewed on the meat a little longer. Then she looked at me with her muddy brown eyes and grinned.

"Aurora." She answered quietly.

"Aurora." I whispered, "Where do you come from?" I asked. All of a sudden Aurora started to shake, panic burning in her eyes. She leapt forwards, grasping the top I was wearing in her shaking hands and she looked me straight in the eye. The change from being calm and relaxed to agitated and scared was so fast I was a little stunned.

"Please, don't send me back." Her small, innocent face was inches from mine. Fear shone in her small eyes and I wrapped my arms around her small body and hugged her close to me. "Please!" She cried as I held her and she started to shiver and shake even more.

"Please, the Shadow Clan…the Shadow clan…" and she broke down in tears on my shoulder, her small arms linked behind my head as sobs racked her body. Renn touched my shoulder and I looked at her. Tears had formed in her eyes and I let Aurora go. She lay back and Aurora wiped her eyes and looked at me as I leaned over her to pull the blanket over her. She grasped my hand.

"Please don't make me go back." She whispered. I smiled at her and moved a curl from her eyes again. My fingers brushed her forehead slightly and it burned under my touch. She had a fever.

"We won't make you go anywhere." I promised. She smiled at me and then Renn and closed her eyes. I looked at Renn and shook my head sadly. We crept from the hut. Renn closed the material over the door and smiled at me again.

"You did well." She whispered, "Well done."

"Did you see how fast she turned from being calm to scared?" I asked. Renn nodded solemnly.

"The fever has taken its toll on her. After all she is only around six summers old."

I shook my head in disagreement.

"I don't think it was the fever. I think she was generally…petrified at the idea of going back to her Clan!"

Renn nodded.

"Something's not right." Renn spoke the thoughts that were spinning around my head.

"I think we need to go and talk to Fin-kedinn." I murmured and we raced over to Fin-kedinn's hut. He exited from the hut just as we reached it and nodded at us sadly. The mage came out from behind him and looked me sternly in the eye.

"What did she say?" She aske

"She has a fever." Answered Renn, "I think you need to look at her."

The mage gave Renn a stern look then walked away. Fin-kedinn turned to face us.

"What did she say?" he repeated the mage's question.

"She's from…Shadow Clan." I answered. Fin-kedinn's hand tightened on his staff and a look of horror painted his face, but it then disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

"Come in," Said Fin-kedinn, and held the door to his hut open, "We have things to talk about." I glanced at Renn nervously and led the way into the hut.

**Special Thanks****:**** to Bubblemoon66 who gave me my first review on this story. You encouraged me to write more! **


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